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Urad Dal with Fresh Fenugreek

Sometimes a gentle Indian meal with split dal is just the thing I crave. I adore the creamy texture and mellow, yet unique flavour of urad dal so I made this simple dish for a special lady friend of mine when she was over for an afternoon visit. Fresh fenugreek is a must in this dish and it was a delight to find some at my local Indian grocery store. I served it with hot basmati rice, but it certainly would go well with naan or any other Indian flatbread.

Soak the urad dal and chana dal in enough water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain, transfer to a large pot, add 1 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the dal is soft, stirring occasionally to ensure the water does not boil away.

Add the fenugreek leaves to the pot and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the tomato and salt to the pan and stir and fry until the tomato begins to soften. Add the tomato to the beans, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the asafetida, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chili powder. Stir and fry for a minute. Pour over the cooked lentil dish.

Sounds like you picked up some dried fenugreek leaves (methi), though fenugreek is available in powder and seed form too. If you do have the dried leaves, just use them instead of the fresh leaves, but use less. If you can find the fresh leaves, they are a real treat.

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 22 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.